I have a First Watt F5(built by the man himself). Does it run hot? You bet! Not so hot that you can't touch it,but hot none the less. Like stated already, I let mine idle for a while before any real listening. It sounds a bit thin when it's cold.
Mine is a bit more robust and bold than the original article. Higher voltage rails, higher bias, no current limiting, bigger chassis. It's good for about 62 watts in class A. I usually let mine sit for a couple of hours and I often leave it on all weekend. It really sounds it's best once the whole thing is soaked in heat. It's night and day between hot and cold. It's like after 75 minutes somebody starts slowly pushing a slider and the sound opens up and engulfs me.